The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13)- Christian Bale, Tom Hardy

One of the many things I absolutely love about my husband is his love for movies. Although sometimes I have to admit, his movie choices suck, but when it comes to seeing the new super hero movies as soon as they come out, he's eager to do it. I don't think I have ever seen so many movies opening weekend as I have since we've been together. We don't necessarily go opening night at midnight, but he doesn't like to wait until the next week either.

So here's the crazy story with this one: 

My husband and his brother decided they would not watch this movie unless they saw it in the IMAX (which I was completely excited for), and seeing as they both don't like to wait a couple days to watch it, they wanted the first available time. And you want to know what time that was? 2:20 AM on Saturday. Now, if I were maybe 17, and I didn't have to wake up at 7:00 every morning for work, I wouldn't care. But seeing as how that Friday I woke up at 7, and I treasure my sleep, and I can't stay up as late as I used to, I was not too excited about this decision. I decided I would just have to take a nap after I got home from work and then drink a Super Gulp full of caffeinated soda from 7 Eleven before we went to the theaters. But we all know that feeling of knowing that we HAVE to go to sleep, and because we HAVE to go to sleep, we can't. And that's what happened. I fell asleep for two hours (when I was planning for four), and then I couldn't go back to bed. 

So we get to the theaters about midnight and wait in line. I brought a card game so the time would pass quicker. We got pretty good seats. I peed about three times before actually going into the theater, and once right before the movie started. And of course an hour into this almost three hour movie, I have this intense push on my bladder because of all the soda I drank, but of course I hold it so I don't miss any of the movie, and so I don't have to walk over 20 people to get to the restroom. BUT! I wasn't tired!

The movie was great. I told my husband I wanted to watch the first two movies before we saw this one so that I would be up to speed with everything, but we didn't have any time. So during the movie, they reference some stuff from Batman Begins, and I just didn't get it. I was a little disappointed. I remember The Dark Knight well because I've seen it so many times, so comparing The Dark Knight Rises to The Dark Knight, I would say The Dark Knight is much better. The Dark Knight Rises is... I don't know how to explain it. Not as interesting? Not as exciting? Because I loved the Joker, and I don't know how I feel about Bane. There's also not a lot of Batman in the movie either, and I didn't like that. The only reason I say anything negative about the movie though is just because of my comparison to the others, but I mean, it's Batman, so of course overall the movie is really good. It had a lot of action that actually made me tense up during the movie. It's surprising (that's all I'll say about that). And seeing it in the IMAX made it so much better.

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What To Expect When You're Expecting (PG-13)

At my church right now, there are at least five pregnant women, and about three who just had babies. It's crazy. And because there are a lot of women with children, usually once a month we plan a girls night out so that they can get away from their house for awhile. This month it was my turn to pick the activity along with my friend Meagan. We chose to go out to Yogurtland and then watch this movie together since many could relate (and it was in the cheap theater). 


I have a few things to say:

First of all, I hate that girl Anna Kendrick. I said this in a previous post, but I hate the way she acts, I hate everything about her in all movies. She annoys the heck out of me. I don't know what it is, but I can't stand her. I have yet to find a movie where I like her in it. She's one of those annoying actors like Juno and that girl in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, I don't remember her name, but those girls suck. Kendrick now belongs to that group.

Anyways, I actually really like the movie. I'm sure I would like it a lot more once I experience pregnancy for myself. But what I really loved about the movie was that it showed having a baby from a lot of different perspectives. There was the couple who was trying to have a baby for years and finally got pregnant, but everything about the pregnancy was really hard, it was rough on her body, and labor took a long time. There was the girl who had the easiest pregnancy- didn't get tired, didn't gain a lot of weight, sneezed and the baby came out. ha. I do wonder if that has ever happened for somebody. I'm sure it's what all women wish could happen. There was the couple who couldn't get pregnant at all and had to adopt. Then there was the couple who wasn't married, they had just been living together, and they weren't even planning on having a baby at all. And then there was the girl who had a one night stand, wasn't even dating that guy, and then she had a miscarriage.

It was an emotional movie. There was a lot of humor with the Daddy Group, very sad when the miscarriage happened and with one of the couples after the baby was delivered, a lot of joy (I cried) when the couple finally got to adopt the baby, and kind of an annoying feeling with the dad competing with the son. I think this movie had a good balance with everything. And usually movies with a lot of well-known actors in it like "Valentine's Day" and "He's Just Not That Into You" are awful, but that was not the case with this movie. It was overall pretty good. 

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Fa Sai

Of course, being that my husband is Asian, I have to try all kinds of different foods, usually foods that I find disgusting; well, not disgusting, but let's just say I'd much rather spend my money on a Big Mac from McDonalds. He used to work in a Thai restaurant when we both lived in Provo while we were dating, so I ate there a lot and it wasn't that bad. I only chose from two different dishes and the spring rolls, but the spring rolls were the best I have ever had in my life. But there was another experience I had where my good friend took me to a Thai restaurant in San Antonio, and when I walked in, the smell reminded me of my dog's breath. It smelt so awful, and when my plate came out, it was all up in my face and I couldn't eat it. Needless to say, I wasted my money at that place, which is why I usually don't like to try new things unless someone else is paying. Ha. 

You can bet I was very hesitant on trying this new place with my husband. When we drove up and I saw that it was this tiny restaurant in the middle of a strip of stores, I almost said, "you can eat here, I'll get myself something else." Or maybe I actually did say that, I don't remember. But my husband made me go in and try it, and it turned out...... it wasn't all that bad. It wasn't as good as the place in Provo, and it was for sure a heck of a lot better than the place in San Antonio, so I'd go there again. It wouldn't ever be my choice to go, but if my husband wanted to go again, I wouldn't be so reluctant. 

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (R) - Gary Oldman

Let's just say, my husband wasn't too happy with me after this movie was over. First of all, they talk in these heavy British accents. Second of all, it involves war. And third of all, it does cut scenes where it goes back in time. Anyone who knows me knows that these are probably the things that confuse me the most in any movie, and this one had all three!! I was not happy.

Basically, a guy is fired from this spy-place, and then he is talked to privately about a year later telling him that there might be a mole in the spy-place and he has the task of finding out who it is. I think that's right at least. Who knows. We had to pause the movie at least ten times to discuss what was going on, AND we had to read the flippin' outline of the movie online to make sure we understood.  Well, I had to read it at least. My husband was not happy with me by the end because I kept pausing it every five minutes since I was so confused, and he was trying to explain it to me, but I didn't care to listen because I just wanted to read the outline. Also, one of the characters names was Control. So they would say stuff like, "That's not want Control said." And the whole time they were saying that, I thought they were talking about the group of men that would gather together to discuss everything since that is usually what Control is in these types of movies, right? Confused the heck out of me. Anyway, awful movie, awful experience.

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Away We Go (R)- John Krasinski & Maya Rudolph

Seeing this cover, my first impression would be, "Oh no, this is going to be another stupid movie like 'Juno' or any of the other weird movies Michael Cera is in like 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' or worst of all 'Scott Pilgrim.'" So luckily I didn't see this cover or else I would have put up a fight to not watch it. However, I do love the two main characters. Of course I love Krasinski from 'The Office', and I love Rudolph from 'Bridesmaids' and her new TV show 'Up All Night'. So maybe I would have given it a chance since they were in it. Who knows. I watched it anyway. And there's a lot I could relate to.

Just to let you know a little bit about what's going on with me, my husband and I are kind of at a stand still right now. We live in California while my husband is attending law school, but our circumstances have changed, and we no longer have the financial support we used to have. Of course, being in California this is a problem because it is quite expensive to live here. I want to go back and live in Texas (or anywhere but here for that matter), but my husband doesn't.

So back to the movie, it's about them getting pregnant and basically traveling around to different states to find a place to start new. You can see how this is fitting for us. (Not the pregnant part though in case you were wondering.) I kept telling my husband, "See, let's just get up and go. I don't wanna be here anymore," but he just kept smiling at me. Anyway, while they are traveling, they go to see friends in each state they visit. They see how their friends' family life is: they see the struggles, the different values, the lifestyles, and they see the different ways of parenting. The whole time I was thinking the falling action of the story plot was going to be the main characters fighting and breaking up, but it turned out that wasn't the case, and that is one of the main reasons I really enjoyed this movie. They're in it together the whole time.

Now if only I can just get my husband to move... Maybe I should get pregnant..??

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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (PG-13)

Robert Downey, Jr. always talks so fast in his movies, it's hard to understand him. He says things that usually go right over my head because when he goes on for such a long time, I just end up losing focus, then I wait until he's finished talking, and then I turn to my husband and say, "Ok, so what happened?" My husband doesn't like that too much. There were a few parts in this movie where I had to ask my husband some questions. Talking scenes are just too much for me to handle sometimes. BUT, of course I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes. I usually enjoy all of his movies because he's so funny. The thing I like most about it is the slow motion scenes, either when he's thinking about how to attack his enemy, or when they are running through the woods away from the bad guys. I just think it looks so cool. Anyway, I'd watch this movie again, mostly because I'll most likely forget the story and have to re-watch it anyway to remember what it was about.

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Wicked Appetite- Janet Evanovich

Yup, you guessed it. Another Evanovich book. I think this is the last one I'll read for awhile since I don't think there are anymore of hers left to read. This one is kind of like the "between-the-numbers" books, except this one doesn't have Stephanie Plum. Diesel is the main character, and it's all about the "Unmentionable" abilities they have. I think I like this one better than the "between-the-numbers" ones because Evanovich doesn't use Stephanie Plum. When she did that it just took away from the main story of the number books, and I felt that it was just a hassle to read those books instead of skipping over them. I guess I could have skipped over them, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. Anyway, "Wicked Appetite" was a lot more fun to read because it was a whole new story line of itself. The next one of this series should be coming out this month, I think. So, maybe I will read another book of hers pretty soon then.

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Emma Stone Spiderman

The Amazing Spider-Man does a decent job of retelling the same story we've seen before in previous film versions, but it doesn't bother to reinvent anything. It isn't any more serious than Sam Raimi's vision and no less silly either. The action, adventure, and drama are all there, but so are the contrivances, the overabundance of computer animation, and the abysmal villain's ridiculous plan to rule the world. The origins story is rushed at times, but still thorough enough that one would hope for more originality or a different tone. It's more of the same, but if you've been enjoying the repetitious superhero trends of late, there's little reason to skip this one.

When his parents are killed in a plane crash, young Peter Parker goes to live with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Several years later, now a teenager in high school, Peter (Andrew Garfield) finds a clue in his father's briefcase that leads him to brilliant Oscorp scientist Dr. Curt Connor (Rhys Ifans), a herpetologist devoted to cross-species genetics and its power to cure deformities. Sneaking into an Oscorp intern tour led by his high school crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), Peter spies several of the projects Connor worked on with his father, including genetically altered spiders and their bio-cable manufacturing. When one of the spiders in the lab bites Peter, he rapidly begins to gain increased strength and agility. Initially using his newfound skills only for his own amusement, a tragic loss finds Peter determined to utilize his powers for good. Becoming the masked vigilante "Spider-Man," Peter sets about apprehending criminals, much to the dismay of police captain George Stacy (Denis Leary). But when a vicious reptilian monster begins tearing through New York, Spider-Man becomes the city's only hope against the beast's diabolical plot.

The idea is to revive the Marvel moneymaker - make him more relatable, more heroic, more powerful, more believable, and more iconic. But as much as this new version tries to start over and distance itself from Sam Raimi's highly successful trilogy, enough time just hasn't passed. It's only been five years; special effects haven't improved so drastically that it feels like a completely different superhero, the story hasn't changed to the point of being unrecognizable, and the actors have been switched but essentially play the same, familiar roles. The reboot fails to be original and it fails to achieve its goal of reinvention. Its very existence, other than to sell tickets, is utterly pointless.

Thundering background music bespeaks epic battles and chivalrous deeds. With expected bluntness, the audience is subjected to the school bully picking on Peter, his inevitable comeuppance at the hands of a recently spider-bitten avenger, Peter's aunt and uncle struggling to represent the perfect adoptive family, the curious teen scouring the internet for information on his past, a very forward, persistent, strong-willed blond pursuing the awkward boy, ridiculous exploration in a hi-tech, low-security, multi-million dollar laboratory, the death of a loved one motivating vigilante action, antipathy from the police, a villain with experimental neon fluid dispensed from a painful needle, and quotable, supportive talks of utmost responsibility. The majority of the film is wasted on repetitive origins explanations and introductions, predictable events, obvious foreshadowing, and ludicrously contrived resolutions. There's still comedy from Spider-Man adapting to his sticky fingers and marvelous strength, and this time the acrobatic posing is at an extreme, complimenting the inking from the comics but also managing to be more visually ridiculous onscreen. It's an element not translated well from one medium to the next. They may have added a mechanical webslinger, but it represents the overall collapse of The Amazing Spider-Man - replacing insignificant details with other equally meager items that don't result in an overall product contradistinctive enough to warrant its creation.

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Emma Stone Zombieland

About a week ago, I had a chance to see the newest blockbuster comedy/horror film "Zombieland." Was it good? Was it bad? The anticipation for this film's release was pretty big and it definitely stirred up some buzz. The casting is the first thing I'd like to bring up. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. The selling point to this movie is no doubt Woody because I feel that without his name attached, it would not have done as well as it did. Woody is cast as a gun-totting cowboy who's only goal in life is to find the world's last remaining twinkie. Basically every moment with him in it is hilarious and never lets up.

Jesse Eisenberg was alright but the entire time I was watching him, I just kept picturing someone better in the role like Michael Cera for example. Emma and Abigail just kind of annoyed me but I guess with every film nowadays has to have some sort of love interest and Emma Stone fills that role. She is a beautiful actress so it's definitely a pleasure to see her on screen and for the most part, her acting is quite tolerable as well.

Anyway, as far as the plot is concerned it's pretty basic. Woody wants his twinkie, Jesse wants to see his parents, and the two girls wish to go to Pacific Playland so Emma can give her little sister a good time. What follows is one hell of a ride and from start to finish, I was not bored at all. There is even a cameo by a big name actor half way in the movie which had my sides aching with laughter the entire time.

One big thing I'd like to mention! The movie opens to a slow-mo montage set to "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallic and I don't think I have ever seen an audience cheer as much as they did when that sequence started. Clapping, whistling, and cheering filled the room and I was genuinely pumped up. No movie in recent memory has done that for me.

If you are a fan of zombie movies, comedies, horror, and/or stupid fun, you will definitely enjoy this film. Do not go into it expecting Academy Award worthy acting or a hard-hitting story of passion because you will be disappointed. It's a straight forward action/comedy and for what it is, it does it brilliantly. It is easily well worth the price of admission and I am looking forward to it's release on Blu-Ray. Go see it! You will NOT be disappointed!

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Emma Stone

The director of this movie Mark Water that filmed the unforgettable "Freaky Friday " and the Romantic story "Between Heaven and Earth" continues to make lovely and romantic films and supply them with elements of mysticism and magic. His new film "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" running in theaters since July this year.

Fashionable photographer Connor Mead: (McConaughey) convinced celibate, and hard-hearted womanizer. He Lives and rejoices for such a nice and wonderful guy he is, He do not prone to emotional experience and ties. The relations with his only brother Paul he doesn't consider as ties ...

But, the decision Of Paul to merry hysterical, thought, a nice girl, Connor finds as just stupid. However, because of his love to his brother, Connor arrives to the house of their childhood to the wedding weekend. And there all the fun begins...

In a family atmosphere his life position manifested brighter. He quarrels with the bride, flirts with future mother-in, brakes the wedding cake by the accident and the most important and foolish: tells the bridesmaid about Paul's treason, which becomes for the bride the reason for the gap .But the most general part in the movie is not his brake up and then the regain of his brother wedding, it's a director's tuning-fork: mysticism that bursts into hero's life. Fantastic events and phenomena forces Connor to change his life. First of all, it's a ghost of his uncle (Michael Duglas) who taught the offspring how to treat women. Uncle admits that he was wrong in his coaching, and warns about the phenomenon of ghost of girlfriend past.

A journey to the past, future and present with a ghost companions - is a material with a strong cinematic potential. Sixteen years old Ellison: red haired, sentimental and playful, reminds Connor about his true character, his first love, Jenny, and how and why he closed his heart at the castle. His ghost assistants will show him real loneliness and stupidity. The most mysterious ghost is a silent beauty, who sends the hero to the wedding of his beloved with another man, and to his funeral, that only his brother came to visit that lost his bride because of Connor.

Of course, this is a fun journey. The colorful ghosts, magic movements, a kaleidoscope of memories and circling impressions in a dynamic narrative whirlwind. What else needed for a sweet, unpretentious film for female audience, if not a sweet dream?

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Angelica Rivera Bikini

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